NHTSA Complaint #10556358 — 2013 SRT VIPER

ON FRIDAY NOVEMBER 15TH I WAS DRIVING MY 2013 VIPER TO WORK, THE WEATHER WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BEAUTIFUL AND I WANTED TO ENJOY MY CAR. I NEEDED TO TURN ON THE REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER. WITHIN MINUTES THERE WAS A LOUD BANG AND MY REAR WINDSHIELD SHATTERED. THE INSIDE OF MY VEHICLE WAS COVERED WITH GLASS; I HAD GLASS INSIDE MY SHIRT. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I THOUGHT SOMEONE HAD SHOT OUT THE REAR WINDOW WITH A BB GUN, THE NOISE WAS SO LOUD. I CALLED HERB CHAMBERS CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE OF DANVERS WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND SPOKE TO [XXX], THE SERVICE MANAGER. I EXPLAINED TO HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED. HE INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS A ?KNOWN ISSUE? WITH THE NEW VIPER. HE STATED THAT THEY JUST REPAIRED A VIPER WITH A SIMILAR PROBLEM. I WAS SHOCKED THAT I HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED THAT THERE MIGHT BE A PROBLEM WITH MY CAR. NEITHER THE DEALERSHIP NOR THE MANUFACTURER TOOK THE TIME TO NOTIFY ME. DESPITE THE FACT THAT ONLY 150 OF THESE VEHICLES WERE BUILT, NO ONE CALLED OR WROTE TO INFORM ME OF THE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT OF THAT, MY REAR WINDSHIELD SHATTERED AS I WAS DRIVING THE CAR SENDING GLASS FLYING ALL OVER THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. I DON'T THINK THIS IS RIGHT. I THINK THEY HAD AN OBLIGATION TO INFORM THEIR CUSTOMERS OF THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM AS SOON AS THEY KNEW ABOUT IT. *TR..UPDATE 04-10-14 *BF ..UPDATED 06/09/14 *BF UPDATED 06/13/2014 *JS